We had so much fun at Courtney & Matt’s engagement session! These two were so comfortable with each other and we shared a lot of laughs at their session! Y’all I LOVE IT when my couples show up ready to have a good time!

Courtney and Matt choose to use the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano and Y’all, it was the PERFECT location for them! All the soft colors from the grass matched perfectly with their outfits! Courtney did an amazing job pairing hers and Matt’s outfits together!

One thing is for sure, after having such a great time with these two at their engagements, it makes me that much more excited to celebrate with and capture their wedding day!

This editorial bridal shoot is everything I have ever hoped and dreamed for in a bridal session.

In July, Lottie with Grit and Gold and Meagan with Meg B Beauty and myself decided that we would do a bridal session in Montreal Canada, so we all got on a plane and went!

After the bridal session was over, we knew that we had just accomplished something special, something that we were all genuinely proud of. So, we went out for celebratory dinner. As we strolling the cobble stone streets of Montreal, laughing and living in the moment, I couldn't help but feel overcome with gratitude. This whole trip was magical and such a piece of my creative heart.

From Ivory & Vine Event Co.... This shoot was inspired by the Garden of Eden. We wanted to create an intimate wedding scene surrounded by elements of lush floral, greenery and vibrant pops of color to bring the Garden of Eden to life. The White Sparrow Barn made an incredible backdrop, surrounding us with stunning white walls and a grand space to set the stage.

The vibrant, spring color palette of deep berries, pinks, blush and creams helped to add so much color to the neutral walls of the White Sparrow. Kate Foley Designs created an amazing installation of floral and greenery, climbing the walls of the White Sparrow and evoking the feeling of a lush, hidden garden. From the bridal bouquet to the centerpieces, each element was designed with the intention of elevating natural elements into something elegant.

A few weeks into planning the editorial shoot with our model couple, the “groom” reached out to me asking if I would help plan his girlfriend’s proposal at the end of the shoot. He knew she loved The White Sparrow barn and that she would be getting her hair and makeup done specially for the shoot, and decided that it would be a great opportunity to ask for her hand.

We decided to split the shoot in two different sections, the wedding section and the “day after” portraits which have become popular among many couples. During the day-after section, as the models stood in the center of the room, Jaden got down on one knee and proposed. We opened the barn doors to reveal all of Havyn’s best friends standing there with balloons. She was absolutely stunning as she said “yes” to her future groom!

Ellen Ashton did such an amazing job of not only capturing the intricate details of the shoot, but the emotions of the day as well. Her aesthetic eye helped to bring an entirely different perspective into the space, capturing each intimate moment.

Pink Champagne Paper created a gorgeous stationery suite, with so many fun elements. From the custom map of the White Sparrow hand-drawn on textured paper, to the wax seals and barn drawing, each stationery element helped to tie the concept of the piece together.

We were thrilled to showcase two stunning Sarah Seven gowns. For the wedding portion of the shoot, our model wore the Carlisle gown by Sarah Seven. This piece gave a nod to the Garden of Eden concept through it’s illusion lace detailing and floral pattern design. During the day-after section and real proposal moment, our model adorned a buttery-yellow Sarah Seven slip dress, full of movement.

Whisk Until Sweet provided an incredible cake adorned with fresh floral, dripping chocolate and fruit accents to tie in our concept. This two-tiered beauty was simple, but full of so many fun details.

Each moment of this shoot was so truly unique. This team of vendors put so much thought and care into every detail not only to elevate the design, but to give our couple one of the most memorable days of their lives. It was truly an honor to plan something so beautiful for this couple!

It has been a hot minute since I last blogged, so tonight I'm going to share a little something with all you lovelies.

I met Dakota and Katie at a Bible study earlier this summer and I am so glad I did! I had the honor of photographing these two when Dakota proposed to Katie this past July. (Click HERE to see photos). Katie had the surprise of her life that day and it's still one of my favorite sessions to date.

Last week Katie, Dakota and I loaded up into a car and drove to a dreamy destination to take their engagement photos. I loved chatting in the car with them as we went adventuring together. I learned so many things about them that made me love them even more than I already do.

As we were chatting, Katie was telling me that her dad had past away a few years ago, and in honor of his memory Dakota was wearing one of his shirts in their engagement photos. Honestly I cried a little when Katie told me this (not so uncommon if you know me.. Compassion and empathy are my middle name!).

Hearing how these two met and started dating was truly so fun to listen to! Katie couldn't stop smiling, and honestly, that's one of my favorite things about her- she always has a smile on her beautiful face. Both Katie and Dakota are so full of life and joy. The love they share, the pure excitement and happiness they have about getting married really shines through each photograph. Let me just tell you, all the happy smilies were infectious and I LOVED EVERY SECOND IT.

I hope you enjoy this precious session as much as I enjoyed photographing and getting to know the people in them.

Much love and happy belated thanksgiving,

-E

If you loved the first half of Dakota and Katie's engagement session, then you are going to DIE when we see the second portion. Y'all, they are slaying it. On our way up the mountain we found some awesome foliage that we added to Katie's wild flower bouquet. Honestly, I could go on and on about how amazing these guys are but I'll just shut up now and let the images do the talking. ** insert emoji heart eyes**

Jaden, told Karli that he was going to ask his girlfriend Hayvn to marry him! So, from there we started planning a proposal for Jadon and Hayvn that would be both special and insanely beautiful! And by "we" I mean Kari! However, pulling off this surprise proposal truly was a team effort! It took every single vendor to really make this happen! From a&be bridal salon who lent us a gorgeous Sarah Seven dress, to Kate Foley for the impressive floral insulation that helped frame the couple, to all the heart and love that Karli put into the behind the scenes work to make this proposal such a special one for the couple.

We LOVE making dreams come true and making every girl feel like a queen!

On December 15th I photographed Arturo and Kenya's wedding!! It was such a beautiful and love filled day!! However, there is a magical twist to this story... WE CAPTURED ALL OF THEIR BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAITS WITHOUT THEM SEEING EACH OTHER!!!!! WHAT?!?!? I know! I'm still just as shocked as you might be! In this blog post I am going to share with you how I went about photographing their portraits!

Because Kenya and Arturo got married in the winter the sun was scheduled to set at around 5:25pm, BUT their ceremony wasn't until 6:30pm. This created somewhat of a problem...

1. The couple DID NOT want to do a first look. It was very important to them that they see each other for the first time at the alter.

2. the couple really wanted to have outdoor, naturally lite photos.

My natural response was to offer an "after session" (where we would photograph portraits the next morning), and while we tried hard to make this option happen, it just wasn't going to work out. So, what now?

Well, my dear, sweet Felecia at Wed & Prosper suggested doing "creative portraits". Where we try and get photos of them without seeing each other. When the words left her mouth, I thought "I freaking love this." All of a sudden my mind got all of these ideas and from there we worked together as a team to pull off something we had never seen before. (side note, even if you don't think you need a wedding planner, YOU DO! Worth every penny!)

We brought the idea up to Arturo and Kenya, and showed them some examples of what I wanted to give them as far as photos go, and they agreed to move forward with the creative images!

This made my creative heart sing! Trusting your photographer is a 100% must! For me personally, I want to give my clients my best, and when they trust me to do that, they get my best work!

The day of the wedding, Felecia had purchased a blindfold that we used for Arturo.

Now, let me just say, that Arturo is literally one of the sweetest human beings I have ever met. I could tell he was a little nervous because it was very important to him to not see Kenya, so before we put the blindfold on, I talked with him, showed him some examples of my work and the poses I wanted to use and just walked him through my ideas verbally. This did two things, it put his mind at ease, and two, it made him feel like he was somewhat in control and knew what was kinda going on. I mean, having someone completely guide you and you can't see what's going on is a HUGE trust exercise! Arturo, was a total champ! He let Felecia guide him by the hand and let me touch his face and adjust him until he was in the right pose. HE DID AMAZING!

Once we got the bride and groom into position, Felecia would remove the blindfold and I would instruct the couple on what to do.

This was SO MUCH FUN FOR ME! I have always loved a challenge, and this was no different. As we took the images I showed Felecia the back of my camera and we were both just so happy. We did it!

In review, how I went about capturing their portraits was:

- Educate the couple, I gave them examples of what I wanted to do so that they could see what I wanted to give them.

- purchased a blindfold

- worked with the couples coordinator to create a plan of action.

- made the groom feel at ease by letting him in on the plans so he could feel somewhat in the loop.

- work together as a team

- be creative! I didn't really have anyone to tell me what to do or how to do it. I just let my mind and creativity take over. I looked at some of my past work and looked for poses that I had used before where I could manipulate the image where his eye could be closed or they couldn't see each other. This was truly SO MUCH FUN for me.

All in all Kenya and Arturo were great sports and the both did an amazing job!

I hope this is blog is helpful to you and gives you some ideas if s first look isn't an option for you!

As a walked into the venue I was created with one of the owners, Whitney! She is truly one of the kindest souls! She took me around the venue and gave me the grand tour!

Something that is really great about the nest is the friendly atmosphere as well as the blank canvas that their venue provides for brides getting married there! As you can see the venue photographs like a dream! Which to me is so important!

I think one of my favorite things that the Nest provides for their brides is an indoor ceremony option, as well as great places to take photos indoors should weather turn bad. This is something that as a photographer I think is so valuable! Of course, we always pray for good weather! But, it's nice to have the option if you need it and know that you will still have stunning images!

I love traveling to magical destinations to photography my clients. Christie and Bryan's Houston engagement session was an absolute dream! Aren't they just STUNNING?! I can't wait to photograph their Farmhouse Wedding in August! It's going to be one for the books <3

It has been such a long time since I have blogged. Honestly, I miss it. So, I thought I would sit down and show all you lovelies one of my favorite shoots from 2016.

The Farmhouse "thanksgiving" inspired wedding shoot was one that dreams are made of. We had an outstanding team of vendors who worked hard to make this idea come to life. I adore the idea of a thanksgiving wedding! Gathered together with all your loved ones, celebrating the union of marriage all while partaking in amazing food and lots of laughter... It's kind of perfect! Honestly, I loved working with this talented group of hardworking people and I can't wait to work with them more!

I have been seeing so many sparkly and pretty things on my Instagram and Facebook lately, and I am LOVING it! So, in celebration of this wonderful time of year, (Aka engagement season) I have teamed up with an amazing group of wedding professionals to giveaway...

A STYLED ENGAGEMENT SESSION! Eek! I have been dying to share this wonderful news with all you lovelies!! This giveaway is HUGE and valued at $2,400

The giveaway is open from Monday January 9, 2017 - Saturday January 14, 2017 at midnight CST. Winners must be local to the DFW area or willing to come to DFW for your session. The winning couple will be announced on Monday January 16th!

We are all so excited to read about your love stories, meet you and help you enjoy and cherish every moment of your engagements season, captured by a one of a kind collection of heirloom images!

Payton and Alyson's engagement session was so much fun to capture. They really had so many personal touches incorporated into their engagement session that made the love they share sparkle bright in the photographs. The last portion of the session we went to the land where they plan to build their home as husband and wife. How precious is that?! I just love all the thoughtful, romantic and dreamy pieces that went into this session so much!

One of the things I adore about this couple is the genuine love they share for each other. I have known Alyson for almost 20 years and as I went through their film I began to tear up at how happy they are in the pictures and how much Payton just adores Alyson. All the sweet smiles, tender touches and loving glances are just a testament to how truly delighted they are to have each other. Their excitement is so contagious and I absolutely cannot wait for their April wedding!

Congratulations to these two on their engagement. They deserve all the happiness in the world!

" I love you to the mountains and back."

Patrick & Erin's Wedding Day

08.27.16

Last October

I was about to board a plane from Minneapolis headed to Dallas. It was a full flight and as usual, I was looking for kind eyed people to sit next to, because lets face it.. Stranger danger is real and I didn't feel like throat chopping anyone that day. As I was scanning the ocean of people I saw a middle seat open and in the two other seats sat two kind looking women. So, I quickly took the seat. Of course, my massive camera bag did not fit in the cabin above us so the stuartist took my bag to the back. She was extremely rude about a lot of things which in turn got the conversation moving as soon as she walked away.

Sitting to my right was the ever so sweet Erin. She and I chit chatted over the duration of the flight. In the first ten minutes of sitting next to each other I learned that Erin was newly engaged and was going to be getting married in her home state of Colorado. I inwardly (and probably outwardly) smiled and said "how funny, I am a wedding photographer!" Throughout the rest of the flight was talked wedding day details and Erin told me all about her plans to marry her fiancé Patrick up in the rocky mountains.

You know when something just feels right? That's how I felt when I met Erin. She truly is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met. Long story short, I skyped with Erin and Patrick over Christmas of 2015 and they booked me to be there wedding photographer.

Words cannot express how thankful I am for Erin and Patrick (all my couples really) for letting me be apart of and witness the joining of their covenant in marriage. I can't tell you how many times I teared up during their wedding day. Erin was so smiley and giddy, and Patrick was so filled with emotion every time he looked at her. As a photographer these are things I live for. They literally made my job SO EASY. They lived in each moment as the day passed by, which is clear to see from the photographs. They were relaxed, easy going and just excited to spend forever with one another. Their joy and excitement was contagious in every since of the word.

Erin and Patrick, thank you for allowing me the honor and privilege of being your wedding photographer. Sitting next to Erin on that airplane one year ago was meant to be. I truly believe with all my heart that God doesn't make mistakes, and our divine appointment was no different.

I am so excited to share these beautiful wedding day with you!

Some of my favorite memories to capture are the ones immediately after the ceremony. It is not uncommon for me to walk out behind the bride and groom so that I can photograph their sweet reactions of being husband and wife. There is so much joy and emotion in these faces. It's hard not to love everything about love.

Much love,

-E

A HUGE Thank you to Kaylan Robinson for being such an amazing second shooter. You rock, girl!

I am so excited to share Ashley and Jordan's downtown Dallas engagement session with y'all!

I met Ashley through a couple I had photographed a few months ago and I knew when I talked to her over the phone that we were the perfect fit! She had me at rooftop ;-)

As most of you know, engagement sessions are some of my favorite types of photo shoots. There is something so precious about the "engagement season" in a couples life that is so joyous and contagious. I love it and I love getting to be apart of it!

I absolutely loved joking, laughing and photographing these two. They made my job super easy as you can tell ;-) The love they share is so sweet and plain to see through each photograph. I mean, can we just talk about these rooftop pictures for a sec?! D.R.E.A.M.Y

I hope you enjoy this session as much as I enjoyed taking them! Stay tuned for Ashley & Jordan's wedding in April!

Much love,

-E

These rooftop pictures are some of my favorite to date! I just can't get over how amazingly cute and in love these two are.